It’s officially August, which means we are on the home stretch of summer. Now is the time to jam in as many beach trips as you can, splash around in your pool till your fingers shrivel and eat your fill of *nectarines* (*enter favorite summer fruit here*). August is going to be a great month. We have some special activities planned including our family reunion. Which means we are going to be celebrating the last days of summer with a bang.
Speaking of celebrating…I am having a ball celebrating our weekly CSA link party with you. Last week we had a total of 57 link ups, including a few new participants. Thanks everyone for your contributions. I truly appreciate you creating such a fun and creative community. Who knew produce could be so exciting?
Although I have yet to receive eggplant in my box this year, many of you are cooking up some delicious meals with your CSA eggplant. Which means when I do finally get some eggplant delivered, I will have to choose from Vegan Eggplant, Eggplant Stir Fry, Eggplant with Pasta, or Fast Ratatouille. Oh, the decisions :) I guess my best bet would be to find myself with enough eggplant to satisfy all four recipes. Eggplant for days!
But let’s stop dreaming and move on to the real goodies. Cause this week is rockin!
After starting my Clean Eating journey a few days ago, I was worried about what I would do with the items in my box. I mean, we all know how precious they are to me and there was no way I was going to let anything go to waste. But wouldn’t you know that most of the items I received in my box are on the meal plan for the week? Gotta love when it all come together :)
The first item to go was the strawberries. They are on the plan for snack tomorrow. And between Freddie and I there are only a few left (I make all of our meals the night before so that we aren’t scrambling for food at the last minute). In an attempt to save the lone strawberries, I might just have to sneak a few in to another snack. They are too good to be left alone.
Another item on my meal plan are the cherry tomatoes. I am looking forward to making a clean pasta salad and these will be the perfect addition. And even though I rarely get excited about tomatoes, the cherry tomatoes from last week were so sweet and delicious, I am sure these little gems will have no problem living up to their predecessor.
The kale is also on my meal plan this week. Nothing fancy, just a simple sauté, but I am glad that it will be used up. Red russian kale is my favorite variety. I love the pretty combination of colors and the flowery shapes of the leaves. Almost makes me want to put them in a vase and display them on the kitchen table. But then again…they are also too yummy to be treated as a trophy. Into the belly they go!
And finally, the lettuce and cucumbers are on the meal plan too. The lettuce will come in handy for sandwiches and salads and the cucumbers are slated for snacks. But this time I will have to enjoy them bare because my spinach dip is definitely not on the clean eating plan. Better luck next time.
For the rest of the produce, pluots, peaches, green beans and corn, I plan on getting creative with the meal plan and finding ways that I can incorporate these into my meals. I have already made substitutions based on what I got in my box last week and so far I have been successful in using up all of our goodies. I just need to be mindful to not bathe my green beans and corn in butter (which I may or may not be guilty of doing from time to time).
Your turn: What are some of your favorite ways to use the fruits and veggies shown? Any special recipe, tips or tricks you’d like to share? Looking forward to reading your responses :)
Linking up for the first time? Click here for more info…and Welcome! PS: Don’t forget to tell your readers about the party by linking back to this post. Thanks!
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What a great selection! The peaches look fantastic.
Yes they do :) They are a little hard right now but as soon as they ripen up they will disappear quickly!
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This is a great mix here. That fruit looks gorgeous.
Thanks Lucy! I’m excited to enjoy the strawberries today.
I like my corn plain. My husband, on the other hand, requires his own personal stick (yes, full stick) to roll his corn on over and over again. It’s impressive, really.
if the corn is really good and fresh (which it normally is), I can eat it plain too. But there is nothing like a butter drenched corn on the cob :) must try the stick method….one day.
Oh, I can’t wait for corn! I haven’t gotten any yet, but I’m told it will be soon!
Excited for you to get some :) No better time than the summer for fresh corn!
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Maybe you could freeze some of your fruits and veggies you aren’t using and use them next week or in smoothies/green juices? I think the green beans should freeze well and reheat fine!
Good idea Koko :) Thanks for the tip!
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I love that you’re doing this, it’s so much fun to see everyone’s recipes and how fruits and vegetables inspire people! I do want to tell people about it, is this the page I should link to? I think it’s such a great idea. :)
And I have just the recipe for using those plums and kale together–a friend made this recently and it was unbelievable: http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/quick-recipes/2012/07/grilled-kale-salad-with-ricotta-and-plums
Happy cooking!
Sure. I open up a new link party every week but this is the current party.
Plums and kale together? Sounds interesting! Can’t wait to check it out :)
Thanks for stopping by!
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Strawberries are SO 3 months ago here! I am hugely jealous that you are getting them this late into the summer!
I was surprised too…but ill take it!
That’s a beautiful box! Here’s a link to ours which has tomatoes (!!) but no strawberries :(:
https://cenabisbene.wordpress.com/2012/08/03/bread-yorkshire-puddings-and-more-csa/#comments
Thanks for sharing :)
I keep red Russian kale in a vase on the dining table until we eat it.
Thats awesome! I need to try that next time :)
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That looks so good! I’ve been wanting to try grilled peaches for a while now, but I haven’t gotten around to it. If I remember right, you brush them with honey before you grill them… that makes them clean, right?
That makes them delicious! thanks for the idea :)
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I’m amazed you’re still getting strawberries. Ours came and went in May. I know, they’re often hard to hang on to. But if you manage to save any next time or get other berries, an easy jam recipe:
http://brooklynlocavore.wordpress.com/2012/08/02/preserving-berry-season/
Thanks for sharing! I might have to use this the next time I get a load of berries.
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I love kale – kale chips, sauteed kale with garlic and this kale slaw: http://notmymotherskitchen.wordpress.com/2011/06/13/kale-slaw-and-crumble/. Thanks for inviting me to the CSA table!
Thanks for sharing :) Come and check out this week’s party…http://inherchucks.com/2012/08/23/whats-in-the-box-40/. Looking forward to seeing you there!